India resume first innings after lunch

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir resumed the Indian first innings after lunch against Australia on Day 2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag resumed the Indian first innings after lunch on the second day of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Scorecard

Gambhir and Sehwag took the Indian first innings to 6/0 at lunch.

Earlier, Zaheer Khan took four wickets and Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin scalped three each as India bowled out Australia for 333 runs in their first innings.

The last Australian wicket fell when Nathan Lyon was bowled round his legs by Ashwin.

Australia lost their ninth wicket when R Ashwin had Ben Hilfenhaus caught by Virat Kohli at long-on.

Zaheer Khan took his fourth wicket when he had Peter Siddle caught behind by MS Dhoni.

Siddle played well to score 41 runs but fell to Zaheer who was reversing the ball both ways.

Zaheer had Brad Haddin caught by Virender Sehwag at gully in the second over of the day.

Zaheer broke the stubborn 72-run stand between Haddin and Peter Siddle as Sehwag took a good low catch.

The day's play started with Haddin and Siddle resuming the Australian first innings.

Australia ended Day 1 at 277/6 after being 205/5 at one stage.

Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, both playing under the shadow of recent injuries and lay-offs, struggled with their line and length under an overcast sky on a moisture-laden pitch that aided lateral movement when the ball was pitched up.

The hosts opened with debutant Ed Cowan and the belligerent David Warner who were off to a steady start after skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and surprised many by choosing to bat first.

Cowan betrayed no nerves and displayed a fine defensive technique and the right temperament to succeed in Test cricket.

Warner made a sketchy 37 that included a breath-taking pull for six off Umesh Yadav and several airy-fairy shots. He was out off the first ball after a brief rain-induced stoppage at the stroke of the first hour of play when he top-edged a Yadav bouncer that ballooned up to Dhoni behind the stumps.

Shaun Marsh, who has usurped Ricky Ponting's No. 3 position, hardly did justice to the promotion when his intended off-drive off Yadav flew to point, where Virat Kohli held a low catch.

Ponting received a warm welcome from the fans and a hot one from Yadav. The Indian pacer tested the Aussie great with a well-directed bouncer. Ponting, who was late in reacting, was struck just above his elbow and on the grille of his helmet before he regained his bearings and managed to kick the ball away from close to his stumps.

The former Australian captain struggled right through his innings of 62 in the course of which he got beaten several times, overbalanced on a couple of occasions but hung in there to raise 113 runs for the third wicket with the dormant Cowan.

The duo made the Indian pacers pay for their lack of length in the post-lunch session that was delayed by around 40 minutes because of yet another spell of light rain. Just when frustration was creeping into the Indian ranks, Ponting departed much like he had started: a touch shakily. Yadav, having softened him up with a snorter that Ponting somehow managed to evade, got his next delivery to move away late and the batsman edged it to Laxman at second slip.

Clarke, who looked fluent in making a sparkling 31 with five crisply struck boundaries, added a further 46 runs in association with Cowan, but gifted Zaheer his wicket dragging a short ball on to his stumps.

Source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2Etd0Uyq4E1Uw/story01.htm

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